Well, well, well...

Country living has so many new aspects including, well...a WELL.  On Friday, we were running water outside to fill up the horse tank and the water was, well, black.  Ewwww!!  So we let it run awhile and it eventually cleared up.  However, the water pressure wasn't working very well...very low both outside - and inside (read as "no shower since Friday"). 

So, I'm telling a friend about this on Saturday while we're eating lunch at Chipotle and who do you think walks in?  Our plumber!  So I ran the situation by him and he recommended we call our "well guy", to which I replied, "Who is our well guy?"  Both my friend and my plumber recommended the same "guy" so we called him today.  He took a look at the pressure gauge and said, "We need to pull it up."  So out they went.  When they pulled it up, they found a pipe was completely corroded and leaking.  They fixed the pipe and also put in a new pump so we are back in business!

And now the really exciting news...they are coming back in two weeks to run a water line to the barn!  This is going to be incredibly wonderful given that the only current way to fill the water tanks is to run a hose from the house...not so fun in a MN winter!  Just in time for one more animal friend who is coming to live with us soon...stay tuned :-)

The Chicken Palace

So...we've been "winterizing" the chicken coop.  Perhaps "remodeling" would be more descriptive.  Ok, let's be real...our chickens now live in a palatial chicken palace.  Ready for the before and after?

Before...

This is BEFORE.  It was a little unnerving knowing the previous owners of our home lost their ten chickens when a pack of coyotes dug under the fence.  So we've been a bit nervous with the flimsy chicken wire. 

Another issue was that the box where the chickens slept at night (to be safe) was too small for them to be cooped up in all winter.  We also needed a heater (ok, "need" is probably a bit strong...we thought a heater would be wonderful for our beloved birds) and a light so the birds will continue to bless us with their egg-cellent eggs throughout the winter.  And, the ceiling had low hanging beams that were always bumping into.  Oh so many opportunities for improvement!

Enter...Brennen and his father Jerry!  The dynamic duo who remodeled the Super-8 into the Ritz-Carlton!

These two professional craftsmen usually work on kitchens and basements.  I told them they should start billing themselves as "Kitchens and Coops" after the bang up job they did in the Bendickson backyard. 

Check this out...

Now THAT's a chicken coop!  Isn't it beautiful?!  I can't wait to add window boxes in the spring.  And don't you just love the little chicken door? 

Come on inside...

The birds are loving their nifty new nest boxes:-)

And when the temperatures start dipping down, they will appreciate their "Sweeter Heater"...

Much safer than a traditional heat lamp.  AND, it is plugged into a "Thermocube" (you learn all kinds of things when you start poking around :-).  A Thermocube looks like a powerstrip, but it has a built-in thermostat which will turn the heater on when it gets down to 20 degrees...and off again when it hits 30.

They even got rid of those nasty head-banging beams so we can walk in without knocking ourselves out:-)

That's the latest.  The goats are growing babies (hopefully) due April 3rd and 5th.  The chickens have a beautiful winter home.  And Joe, the horse, has adjusted to Ashley's plan to whip him into shape. 

That's what's happening in our neck of the woods...how about you?   

Never say never

I did something yesterday that I said I'd never do.  I know other people do it.  And I don't blame them for it.  I just didn't think I ever would.

I put a goat in my car.  (Yes, Sarah, I did it.)

Why? Because one of our goats (Nellie) was in heat and that calls for desperate measures.  Well, not really.  One has 48 hours or so to load up the goat and bring it to the buck...if you want babies in the spring, that is.  And we do.  So we did.

Meet the buck.  He will be the dad to our babies.  His name is Stone.  And he stinks.  Really bad.

If all went well, Nellie is due April 3, 2012. 

We are gearing up for round two tomorrow...this time it's Betsy's turn to ride in the car and visit the stinky boy.  And this time it's Rich's turn to do the driving :-)

Mystery stain

So, I noticed Ashley had a stain on her jacket. 
Anyone want to guess what this is?

Ok, now this was a new one. 
It just never happened in suburbia.
But it happened here in hobby farm-ville.

This is what happens when you put an egg in your pocket and forget to take it out and it gets smashed all over the inside of your pocket. 

Lovely.

Thank God for washing machines :-)

Remembering Anastasia

Anastasia, age 2, died suddenly Wednesday night for no apparant reason.  She was a good bird, an excellent egg-layer, and a leader of her flock.  In fact, she was at the top of the pecking order.  Was there a coup in the coop?  We may never know what transpired that night.  All we know is she filed into the coop with the rest of the flock on Wednesday evening, but by Thursday morning she was...welll...dead.  Arrangements have been made with Randy's Sanitation.  A short service was held outside the coop with all flockmates in attendance.  For more information, please watch the following interview with the farmer who discovered poor Anatstasia.
 

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Introducing...Joe

The latest tally:

11 chickens

2 cats

2 goats

1 dog

1 horse 
Yes, as of today, we now have a handsome 17 year old quarter horse named Joe who came to us from a friend who was incredibly gracious to bless us with their very first horse. (They now have several more). Joe is a very gentle gelding and, as you can imagine, Ashley is head-over-heels about him already. Joe is hanging out with the goats and they seem to be getting along so far.

On another note, my 99 ½ year old Grandma Gustie was down to visit this week. She enjoyed meeting all the animals. So good to see her, my aunt, my cousin, and my sister on Friday night.

As of last weekend, we have entered yet another new season. We traded in our mini-van for...a pick up! Now we can "haul stuff".  Can you even imagine?

Life has changed a lot in the three months since we moved from suburbia to a more rural setting.  We feel incredibly blessed to live in this beautiful place and to care for these unique animals.  God always seems to be providing opportunities for us to grow. What new adventure is He inviting you to experience?  Leave a comment...we'd love to hear about it!

Goodness, gracious...now its...goats!

As of today, the Bendickson barnyard is now home to 16 animals.  One dog, two cats, eleven chickens...and two Alpine goats!  These two sweet babies were born this spring at the Stone farm and they've been saving them for us until today.  We finally got our fence "goat-proofed" - if there is such a thing.  Believe it or not, it actually takes more voltage to keep goats than a bull!  They've been here for five hours now and so far, so good :-) 

Macie's not sure what to think...

Oh, and we went to the State Fair this week too.  I know most people love to eat cheese curds and deep-fried anything, but we just haven't developed a taste for such delicacies.  So, we're overjoyed that French Meadow (one of our favorite organic restaurants) has a beautiful place right there are the great MN get-together.  Egg Croissant Sandwiches and mini-scones!  It doesn't get any better than this :-)

The chickens are doing well, but they are not laying much at the moment.  Molting, perhaps?  Hopefully the seven younger ones will kick it into gear pretty soon.  There's a chill in the air and school starts next week...but we're hanging on to summer for as long as we can.